Purpose

The culture of Christchurch Boys’ High School (CBHS) is driven by our Blue Black Values of Commitment, Bravery, Honour and Service. Our culture and values drive CBHS

• To safeguard the right of all CBHS students and employees to work in an environment where they feel included, safe, respected and valued.

• To ensure that the School has a clear and consistent process in place, to enable all members of its community to challenge bullying/harassment/discrimination.

Goals

• To ensure members of the school community build resilient and robust relationships based on CBHS' values.

• To enact CBHS values, in daily interactions to create an effective school.

• To continue developing character and academic skills in students.

• To assist staff and students in negotiating conflicting and competing ideas through purposeful dialogue.

• To model assertiveness and intellectual agility and prepare students for a changing world.

• To comply with the requirements of relevant current legislation.

Policy statement

At CBHS bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. The CBHS Board of Trustees is committed to taking appropriate steps to address and eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination from the School.

This policy applies to all CBHS students, employees, volunteers, associates and contractors. The School will ensure that all employees are made aware of the policy and how to access a copy.

In adopting this policy and its associated procedures, the Board of Trustees recognises its responsibility for ensuring that the policy is implemented and will encourage students and employees who consider that they have been bullied, harassed or discriminated against, to access CBHS' complaints policy.

The CBHS Board of Trustees considers all forms of bullying, harassment and discrimination as serious and in addition to tackling the issue, is committed to providing suitable support for the individuals involved.

Key Definitions

The following definitions are in line with the stipulations contained in:

• The Human Rights Act 1993

• Employment Relations Act 2000

• Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

• Education (Hostels) Regulations 2005

Definition of harassment for the purposes of this policy

Harassment includes Sexual Harassment and Racial Harassment and is unwelcome conduct that is offensive, humiliating or intimidating to a person and is either repeated, or of such significant nature, that it has a detrimental effect on the person, their performance or their work or learning environment. Although it is usually repeated behaviour, even one instance may cause reasonable concern and warrant investigation under this Policy.

Whether or not harassment has occurred is determined objectively and assessed taking into account the circumstances of the recipient, irrespective of the alleged perpetrator’s intentions.

Harassment is behaviour unwanted by the recipient.

Specific examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

• The display or distribution of offensive material, graffiti or badges

• Non-verbal cues or gestures and body-language

• Comments about someone’s appearance

• Intrusive questioning about matters unrelated to work

• Suggestive remarks, jokes, name-calling

• Unnecessary touching

• Messages distributed in any format, including electronically or on social media

• Abuse or attack (threatened or actual)

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is offensive or unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which makes a person feel humiliated, intimidated or offended, in circumstances where a reasonable person would have been humiliated, intimidated or offended and which has a detrimental effect on a person's employment, job performance or job satisfaction in the workplace or their learning environment.

Specific examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

• If a person asks another person for sexual intercourse, contact, or any other form of sexual activity and there is an implied or overt promise, or threat of preferential or detrimental treatment.

• Language, visual material or physical behaviour of a sexual nature.

• Displaying or sending offensive pictures, or other material of a sexual nature

• Asking embarrassing questions or questions about a person's private life

• Unwanted attention, touching or gesturing

• Making offensive or suggestive verbal comments, including jokes or innuendo or physical gestures

• Sexual comments or images placed on social networking sites. Sexual Harassment is not behaviour which is welcome or consensual.

Racial Harassment

Racial harassment occurs where any person uses language, visual material or physical behaviour that:

• expresses hostility or ridicules any other person on grounds of their colour, race, ethnicity or national origins; and

• is hurtful or offensive to that person, and

• is either repeated, or of such a significant nature, that it has a detrimental effect on that person in respect of their employment or education.

• Specific examples of racial harassment include, but are not limited to:

• Joking or commenting about cultural differences, ethnic origin or race

• Name-calling or deliberately mispronouncing names

• Making fun of the way people dress or look relating to their ethnic origin Harassment is behaviour unwanted by the recipient.

Discrimination

Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another person would be treated in the same or similar circumstances by reason of one or more of the following attributes of a person:

• Gender

• Sex

• Birth or other status
  

• Language

• Marital status

• Ethical/Moral values

• Religious beliefs

• Colour

• Race

• Ethnic or national origin

• Property

• Disability

• Age

• Political or other beliefs

• Employment status

• Family status

• Sexual orientation

Discrimination is behaviour unwanted by the recipient.

Definition of bullying for the purposes of this policy

Bullying is unreasonable and repeated behaviour towards a person or group that can lead to physical, mental or psychological harm.

The behaviour pattern is persistent, includes a range of actions and refers to actions that a reasonable person at CBHS would not do in similar circumstances.

Specific examples of bullying include but are not limited to:

• Sabotaging assessment, environment, resources or mana

• Verbal insults or abuse in one-to-one exchanges or in front of colleagues or students

• Spreading misinformation, malicious gossip or rumours

• Personal attacks, threats and intimidation

• Misuse of power

• Job-related harassment, such as interference with work, withholding information, having responsibilities removed, work overload or imposing unreasonable expectations

• Deliberate exclusion or isolation from normal workplace or School activities

• Interference with personal property kept at work or School
  

• Unjustified threats of disciplinary procedures

• Punishment imposed without reasonable justification

• Examples of behaviours that may not be classified as bullying include, but are not limited to:

  • A single incident from the above list, but acknowledgement is made here that it may escalate if ignored or the severity of it may merit further investigation.

  • Managing performance in line with other agreed policies is not bullying.

  • Providing constructive feedback, legitimate advice, coaching or peer review within a mutually agreed framework

  • Expecting engagement in the Professional Growth Cycle

  • Making reasonable expectations in a reasonable manner in line with the contractual obligations of the member of staff

  • Differences of opinion or personality clashes that do not escalate to harassment, bullying or violence

Bullying is behaviour unwanted by the recipient.

Approving Authority: Board of Trustees 

Date Approved: April 2025

Next Review: April 2028